# Yanukism
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{{Short description|Linguistic error by Viktor Yanukovych}}
'''Yanukisms''' ({{Langx|uk|янукізми|yanukizmy}}) is a Ukrainian colloquial term for various linguistic errors and mistakes made by former President [Viktor Yanukovych](/source/Viktor_Yanukovych), who was widely noted for frequent [malapropisms](/source/Malapropism) and misspellings, which contrasted with the formal and educated image he projected in public.[{{Cite web |date=2010-09-03 |title=Янукізми |trans-title=Yanukisms |url=https://tyzhden.ua/ianukizmy/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=The Ukrainian Week |language=uk}}]
One of the best-known examples of a Yanukism is the misspelling "{{Not a typo|proffesor}}" ({{langx|uk|проффесор}}), which Yanukovych wrote on his registration form during the [2004 presidential election](/source/2004_Ukrainian_presidential_election). He made 12 other mistakes while filling out the form, most notably misspelling the names of his wife and his hometown.[{{Cite web |last=Viktorovich |first=Yana |date=21 September 2004 |title=Тому що "проффесор" |trans-title=Because "proffesor" |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2004/09/21/3002574/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Ukrainska Pravda |language=uk}}] The term "proffesor" became an [internet meme](/source/internet_meme) and a nickname for Yanukovych. In light of these errors, members of the Ukrainian public and media began to question his doctorate in economics.[{{Cite web |last=Motyl |first=Alexander J. |date=2010-09-30 |title=The proFFesor's latest flub: Yanukovych without a clue |url=https://archive.kyivpost.com/article/opinion/op-ed/the-proffesors-latest-flub-yanukovych-without-a-cl-84539.html |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Kyiv Post}}] The frequency of Yanukovych's mistakes has also led to suspicions that his best-selling books may have been [ghostwritten](/source/Ghostwriter).[{{Cite news |last=Solonyna |first=Yevhen |last2=Sindelar |first2=Daisy |date=2012-04-19 |title=Ukrainian President's Millions In Book Fees Raise Eyebrows |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine_president_million-dollar_book_deal_raises_eyebrows/24552217.html |access-date=2023-03-04 |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |language=en}}]
Yanukisms may also involve factual mistakes rather than linguistic errors. Among other statements, Yanukovych has claimed that the Greek [Mount Athos](/source/Mount_Athos) is located in [Palestine](/source/Palestine_(region)), referred to the [2022 Winter Olympics](/source/2022_Winter_Olympics) as 'a World Championship' and stated that [Israel](/source/Israel) is a European country.[{{Cite web |date=8 July 2011 |title=Черговий конфуз Януковича. Тепер спортивний |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2011/07/8/6368248/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Ukrainska Pravda |language=uk}}]
== Examples ==
{| class="wikitable"
!Yanukism
!Explanation
!Ref.
|-
|проффесор (''{{ill|proffesor|uk|Проффесор}}'')
|extra ф (''f'')
|[{{Cite web |title=Янукович помилився, вимовляючи класичну англійську фразу |url=https://ua.korrespondent.net/ukraine/1176353-yanukovich-pomilivsya-vimovlyayuchi-klasichnu-anglijsku-frazu |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Корреспондент.net |language=ru}}]
|-
|Isaak Bebel
|Yanukovych mixed up the Ukrainian author [Isaac Babel](/source/Isaac_Babel) and the German politician [August Bebel](/source/August_Bebel).
|[{{Cite web |title=35 курйозів, що сталися в житті екс-гаранта України Віктора Януковича |url=https://pogliad.ua/news/chernivtsi/35-kuryoziv-scho-stalisya-v-zhitti-eks-garanta-ukrayini-viktora-yanukovicha-164302 |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Погляд – новини Чернівці та Чернівецької області |archive-date=2021-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810115159/https://pogliad.ua/news/chernivtsi/35-kuryoziv-scho-stalisya-v-zhitti-eks-garanta-ukrayini-viktora-yanukovicha-164302 |url-status=dead }}]
|-
|йолка (''[yolka](/source/yolka_(satire))'')
|meaning 'Christmas tree'. The Ukrainian term is ялинка (''yalynka'').
|
The incorrect spelling is derived from the [Russian](/source/Russian_language) "Премьер-министр", substituting [е](/source/%D0%B5) and [и](/source/%D0%B8) with the Ukrainian letters [є](/source/%D1%94) and [і](/source/%D1%96) (which carry the same pronunciation in Ukrainian as е and и do in Russian — although е and и exist in the Ukrainian alphabet as well, they are pronounced differently).
|[{{Cite web |date=2012-12-28 |title="Самсунг" вам й "курасани" з маком: найкумедніші ляпи Януковича за рік |url=https://gazeta.ua/articles/politics/_samsung-vam-j-kurasani-z-makom-najkumednishi-lyapi-anukovicha-za-rik-/475202 |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Gazeta.ua |language=uk}}]
|-
|[Secretary General](/source/Secretary_General) Clinton
|while meeting [Hillary Clinton](/source/Hillary_Clinton), Yanukovych mistitled her as 'Secretary General' instead of 'Secretary of State'
|[{{Cite web|title=35 курйозів та "ляпів", що сталися в житті сьогоднішнього іменинника і "проффесора" Януковича|date=2014-07-09|url=https://tsn.ua/tsikavinki/35-kuryoziv-ta-lyapiv-scho-stalisya-v-zhitti-sogodnishnogo-imeninnika-i-proffesora-yanukovicha-358334.html|website=[TSN.ua](/source/TSN.ua)|access-date=2026-04-13}}]
|-
|"...So that we don't remain without gas like [a dog in the manger](/source/the_dog_in_the_manger)"
|When commenting on his activities to provide Ukraine with gas supplies
|[
|-
|"We will strive for contraction of the political dialogue"
|During a meeting with Russian president [Vladimir Putin](/source/Vladimir_Putin), Yanukovych confused the Russian word сохранение (preservation) with сокращение (contraction)
|][
|-
|"I took for myself a decision to give up my interests. And I will say, that I have always had one interest - for the country to be strong, and for the people to live in wealth."
|Declared during [a talk show](/source/The_Freedom_of_Speech_(ICTV))
|][
|-
|"Zayev offered me to raise [the pensions] by 100%, but I told him - no, we must [raise them] twofold!.."
|Spoken on air of [Shuster Live](/source/Savik_Shuster)
|][{{Cite web|title=Ляпи Януковича: класичні і некласичні (підбірка янукізмів від Антона Зікори)|date=2010-03-16|url=https://texty.org.ua/articles/19012/Lapy_Janukovycha_klasychni_i_neklasychni_pidbirka_janukizmiv-19012/|access-date=2026-04-13}}]
|-
|"If we are speaking about [agriculture](/source/agriculture), then we must at least not trade grain, but process it into meat..."
|Expressing his views on economy
|[
|-
|"We recognize [...], that the territory of our country should be made unsafe for the life of our citizens..."
|Spoken during a session of the [National Security and Defence Council](/source/National_Security_and_Defence_Council_of_Ukraine)
|][{{Cite web|title=Ляпи Януковича-2012: як “побачити своїми руками” “курасани” під час “тоталірізму”|date=2013-01-02|url=https://tyzhden.ua/liapy-ianukovycha-2012-iak-pobachyty-svoimy-rukamy-kurasany-pid-chas-totalirizmu/|access-date=2026-04-13}}]
|-
|"[Medicine] is the branch that must come at the forefront, like smoke from a [steam train](/source/steam_train)"
|Expressing his views on the medical system
|[
|-
|People from [Lviv](/source/Lviv) are "the country's best genocide"
|Yanukovych mixed up the words for [gene pool](/source/gene_pool) (генофонд'', henofond'') and [genocide](/source/genocide) (геноцид, ''henotsyd'')
|][{{Cite web |date=2010-03-11 |title=Янукович назвав львів'ян "кращим геноцидом країни" |url=http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/yanukovich-nazvav-lviv-yan-krashchim-genotsidom-krayini.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311090015/http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/yanukovich-nazvav-lviv-yan-krashchim-genotsidom-krayini.html |archive-date=2010-03-11 |website=tsn.ua |language=uk}}]
|-
|Anna [Akhmetov](/source/Akhmetov)a
|misspelling of [Akhmatova](/source/Anna_Akhmatova)
|[{{Cite web |title=В Луганске Янукович рассказал об украинской традиции "увидеть руками, глазами потрогать" |url=https://politics.segodnya.ua/politics/V-Luganske-YAnukovich-rasskazal-ob-ukrainskoy-tradicii-uvidet-rukami-glazami-potrogat-390365.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221001728/https://politics.segodnya.ua/politics/V-Luganske-YAnukovich-rasskazal-ob-ukrainskoy-tradicii-uvidet-rukami-glazami-potrogat-390365.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 21, 2023 |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Сегодня |language=ru}}]
|-
|"revival and development of [Pridnestrovie](/source/Transnistria) and all of Ukraine"
|Yanukovych confused the Ukrainian region of [Dnipropetrovsk](/source/Dnipropetrovsk_Oblast) ({{Langx|uk|Дніпропетровська область|translit=Dnipropetrovska oblast|links=no}}) with the unrecognized state of [Transnistria](/source/Transnistria) ({{Langx|uk|Придністров'я|translit=Prydnistrovia|links=no}}), which is a part of [Moldova](/source/Moldova).
|[{{Cite web |date=2012-02-24 |title=Янукович пополнил свою коллекцию оговорок |url=http://politics.comments.ua/2012/02/24/324323/yanukovich-pereputal.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227093451/http://politics.comments.ua/2012/02/24/324323/yanukovich-pereputal.html |archive-date=2012-02-27 |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Комментарии |language=uk}}]
|-
|"low-enriched Iran"
|Yanukovych was meant to tell [Barack Obama](/source/Barack_Obama) that a new research center in [Kharkiv](/source/Kharkiv) will focus on researching low-enriched uranium; he mixed up the words for "Iran" ({{Langx|uk|Іран|translit=Iran|links=no}}) and "uranium" ({{Langx|uk|уран|translit=uran|links=no}}).
|[{{Cite web |date=2012-09-28 |title=Янукович винайшов "низькозбагачений Іран" |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2012/09/28/6973673/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Українська правда |language=uk}}]
|-
|{{Interlanguage link|Astanavites!|uk|Астанавітєсь!|italic=yes}} ({{Lang|uk|Астанавітєсь!}}; Stop!)
|[Russianism](/source/Russianism); the proper Ukrainian term is {{Lang|uk|Зупиніться!}} ({{Transliteration|uk|Zupynit'sia!}}), another internet-meme associated with Yanukovich.[[https://doba.te.ua/post/22009 Інтернет заполонив новий мем з Януковичем (ФОТОЖАБИ)]] Said in an address to the new Ukrainian government after the removal of Yanukovych from power in 2014.
|[{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxx6xrh0duE | title=Астанавітєсь — Янукович (Full HD) | website=[YouTube](/source/YouTube) | date=30 March 2023 }}]
|-
|"I think that Ukraine is our strategic partner"
|[Freudian slip](/source/Freudian_slip) during a press conference in [Rostov-on-Don](/source/Rostov-on-Don) following the [flight](/source/Viktor_Yanukovych) of Yanukovych, who still claimed to be the legitimate president of Ukraine, to Russia
|[
|}
==See also==
*[Azirivka](/source/Azirivka)
*[Bushism](/source/Bushism)
== References ==
{{reflist}}
Category:Ukrainian language
Category:2000s neologisms
Category:Viktor Yanukovych
Category:Terms for quotations of notable persons
Category:Speech error
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Yanukism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanukism) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanukism?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.
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